#i am not a reviewer or a star wars nerd

[joju-but-trek]

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, Episode 1: Into the Breach, Part 1

Somehow, Robert Beltran has returned.

I didn't know that Netflix released Prodigy until about an hour ago, but I'm glad they did. For people who missed the entire saga, two years ago Paramount released season 1 of an excellent Star Trek series called Prodigy. The pitch was that it was a group of (mostly) kids from the far side of the galaxy escaping slavery to come to the Federation, and it was excellent. The characters were compelling, the stories were fun, and it was pitched as an entry to the franchise for kids. Also, the animation looks vaguely like the Clone Wars style. I was in. And then on top of that it's also a follow-up to Voyager, my favorite Star Trek show that I really need to finish writing my reviews for season 1 of.

Anyway, Paramount killed it and wiped it from streaming. After months of fan and crew campaigning, Netflix picked it up and agreed to release the already finished second season. It came out yesterday as a single 20-episode drop, and I've decided to watch it and keep up my reviews of it. I think I want to space out my reviews a bit so I can focus on the individual episodes, so that's how this will start. I would like to do an episode a day, but I don't trust myself to keep to that, so there will probably be some gaps.

So, episode 1. Is it a good premiere? Short answer, mostly. 8/10.

I haven't seen season 1 since I first watched the show, so I'm a bit out of the loop. This episode did a good job of reminding me who the characters were and why I liked them, but it did throw a few curveballs for character arcs that I'm not sure I love. I'm happy with how they handled Zero, Rok, and Jankum, but I think Dal needs a bit more expansion. He's the protagonist so he'll definitely get it, but for a first episode it's a weird place to leave him. Basically, the season starts with the kids in training (I *think* they're all kids, Zero's either a million years old or ten and I can't tell), and they're all adapting more or less OK to formal Starfleet life. Except Dal. Dal doesn't want to actually do any studying and just wants to be a spaceship captain who goes on adventures and shoots things. It's a pretty simple arc, but it's also a kids' show.

I do like the dynamic of all the other main characters wanting to be part of Starfleet and it putting strain on their friendgroup while Dal just wants to do what he wants to do, and the running gag that he refuses to read Temporal Mechanics 101 is a fun joke and a plot element. I'm torn because I kind of want more from the show than that, but also there's only so much you can do in 22 minutes and still expect kids to follow and I recognize that.

In terms of Voyager follow-up, Janeway has a secret mission! That's fun! I like the way her new bridge officers look in the animation style, especially the Andorian I can't name. That species just looks good in this definitely-not-Clone Wars render. Also, I like Andorians. Sue me.

The Doctor is also back! The Doctor is one of my favorite Star Trek characters ever, and I'll explain why if/when I do a thing about Voyager. I'm glad he's back. It feels like they struggled a bit with using Robert Picardo as a voice actor - it just feels a little stilted - but I've also only seen the first episode. I'm not sure why he's on the mission in-universe, but I'll give it time.

The Voyager-A is ostensibly studying a wormhole but secretly rescuing Chakotay, which is a good way to keep the threads from season 1 going and also giving the crew some conflict with Admiral Janeway. In season 1, they got pretty attached to Hologram Janeway, and not having the same relationship with the human version is going to be a fun dynamic to play out. I know they made this a while ago, but I am very curious how much they knew about Robert Beltran (Chakotay's actor) and his feelings about COVID vaccines at the time (he doesn't like them).

Two timeline things that are interesting to nerds - Voyager-A and the mention of the Romulan evacuation. I was halfway through an extended paragraph about the timeline of Voyager-A being here and what that means for the Lore before I realized what I'd done, so I'll make that a separate post. The Romulan evacuation comment is just interesting because that's a plot point from the Abrams Star Trek reboot that puts the events of this show way closer to Voyager than I thought they were, so it has not been that long for Janeway, Chakotay, and the Doctor. I wonder if this will come up, or if I'm overthinking it. If I had to guess, it's probably the latter.

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

"Ahsoka" Review

Lars and Eman were perfect as Thrawn and Ezra. They are those characters and I will not take criticism. More of my thoughts below.

Overall, I give this show an 7.5/10. I enjoyed it more than Mando S3, BoBF, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, but not as much as Andor or the first 2 seasons of Mando. As a Rebels fan, I was overjoyed to see my fave characters like Hera and Sabine return. Just seeing them warmed my heart. When Thrawn showed up, my heart leaped out of my chest. I could not believe that I was seeing Mitth'raw'nuruodo himself in live-action.

Okay, I'm just going to put my Thrawn takes out there (please do not come after me. This is my opinion and I respect anyone who disagrees):

I love Canon Book Thrawn so much. I admire him. I relate to him. I love him. Thrawn in the Canon books is amazing. I enjoy his relationships with Thalias, Eli, and Ar'alani. I love how he mentors Che'ri and Eli. I love that he seeks to protect his people. I love how he is an art nerd and has the craziest plans.

But in "Ahsoka," every time he said "long, live the empire," I wanted to toss my screen. I understand he was closer to his Legends counterpart and I am still excited to see where his character goes I just miss his canon book version.

That being said, I LOVED Lars as Thrawn. There is no doubt in my mind that he IS Thrawn. Voice aside, everything from his mannerisms to composure was perfect. I can't picture anyone else in this role nor do I want anyone else. Lars is able to capture Thrawn's subtle expressions so perfectly and I had a blast watching him every time when he was on screen.

Moving on

Of the new characters, Baylan Skoll was my favorite. Ray Stevenson portrayed him with such grace and elegance. He was mysterious and much welcomed addition to Star Wars. I thought his philosophy was unique and I appreciated that he wasn't an all-out bad guy. I do hope they continue his story and not drop it completely. Rest in peace Ray.

Honestly, I felt that Shin wasn't explored enough for me to really enjoy her. I think she is interesting and there's a lot of potential regarding her inner conflict. I hope season 2 really delves into that. Why did she join Baylon? What power does she seek?

Morgan and the Nightsisters were just really cool to me. The magic they utilized was awesome and the rise of the zombie troopers was spooky.

Also, the music! The Kiners really popped off. I genuinely loved the end credits theme so much. That and the integration of themes were great.

However, I am not a fan of Sabine being force-sensitive. It doesn't make sense in my opinion. It was never hinted at in Rebels and her relationship with Ahsoka feels kinda shoehorned in. I wish we saw what led to her becoming Ahsoka's apprentice. Sabine is already a cool character. Why does she need the force?

Ahsoka in the earlier episodes also was kinda bland. But after episode 5, she felt more like herself. I get that she's not going to be the same as her younger self, but she always had a warmth to her, even when she was serious and I missed that. Rosario still killed it though. I really enjoyed episode 5 with the Clone Wars live-action representation. I know some people really want that but I think it should stay animated.

The lore with the new galaxy was also really cool. It opens the doors to so much storytelling and I love the impact it will have on our heroes. It seems that the Nightsisters and the Mortis gods came from there.

Action was cool, I miss my space husbands, Mon Mothma was cool, and I do think they should stop using the dome for many shots.

Overall, a fun time and I'm excited for what comes next.

[bitwhizzle]

I’m always trying to reach more Rogue & Wraith Squadron fans to foist my wares upon! A passion project (because I’ve invested a lot of money into these and have come nowhere close to breaking even) - my Flyboys enamel pins series is growing!!! I’m so proud of them!

Wedge, Wes and Hobbie bring me so much joy! And every time I sell a pin I am so delighted that I’ve found another Fab Four fan! Carson is a personal fave, as he’s played by my good friend, Paul, who I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with for almost 15 years and we have geeked out over Star Wars many times. I’m so thrilled for him that he has this wonderful recurring role in the SW Galaxy!

The Fab Four wouldn’t be four without Tycho, and he’s currently in production, as is Biggs! I have four more pilots to make after that and then I’ll have to really think about continuing the series! In my dreams, I’d love to expand to some of the actual Wraiths (Face and Ton are a MUST!) and some of the other Rogues (Nawara, Gavin and oh fine…Corran 😝).

All pin artwork for this series is by my pal @darthfar - I’m so grateful that he also loves the pilots and indulged my need to pin them!

You can find my Flyboy pins AND more Star Wars inspired pins in my Etsy shop!

[huggingtentacles]

sorry if you’ve been asked this one already cos it’s kinda a basic one but. rate and review the endings?

and what’s a fun build you think everyone should try ?

SSS Tier: Not completing the game because I play PvP and I don't like burning my Erdtree

S Tier: Fia's ending. I am joining the skeleton war on the side of the skeletons. Lots of hugs required to reach this is ending.

A Tier: Age of Fracture. The most mysterious ending, for we don't know what it entails. In my opinion it's just "interpret your own ending" ending, so basically this is the "I get it all the hot women and rule these lands however I want" so this will ending is literally the best. The drawback being that some stinky lore nerd will tell me that I'm wrong. To which I say I am invading your world as a dark spirit right now.

Age or Stars. Ranni might be a real dickhead consider this: she has four hands and she is my wife now. I don't need much for happiness.

B Tier: Age of Order. Same thing as Age of Fracture. Not enough known about how the life will be under this age, so I can say whatever I want. The one thing I know for sure: there will be no gods like Marika who can meddle with the Elden Ring. But the problem is that I DO want to meddle with Elden Ring. I want to change it up however I want! I will shatter it again if I want.

D Tier: Lord of Frenzied Flame. Yep we're skipping C Tier. I disagree with this ending ideologically. I don't think nihilism is the answer to anything. Destroying everything and melting all into one is a dumb fucking idea. But the ending looks cool and Melina hunts me for fun, which is like, I'm always down to be hunted by hot women for fun hell yeah.

E Tier: Same shit as Lord of Frenzied Flame but now I don't have Melina to hunt me down and it doesn't look as cool. But it doesn't mean it's a completely bad for ending. It's the ending of Punishment. It's the punishment for this world's sins. Is it appropriate? I don't think so. There are better ways.

Ask me more about my Elden Ring opinions!

[and-then-there-were-n0ne]

I am sure that you have encountered, in our superheroes and Star Wars-addled world, the phenomenon of an overall positive review of fandom-style movies or shows that nevertheless prompt a ferocious response for not being positive enough. In the comments or on Twitter the defenders of these products will lambast the writer who dared to express insufficient praise for their beloved franchises. In general even the enthusiastic participants in fandom will admit that their world is one of limitless toxicity, grievance, and controversy. This despite the fact that no group has ever been pandered to more aggressively than they have been by the multibillion dollar companies that sell said product. Why?

Famously, the 20th century saw a collapse in meaning. Between the wars and atrocities that were both horrifying and absurd, the rise of philosophies that rejected traditional schools of understanding, the increasingly diminished role of religion in both public and private life, the rise of a counterculture that was better at critiquing the old than in building the new, even scientific developments like relativity and quantum mechanics that seemed to undermine the basic logic of corporeal experience - it became harder to simply exist with a stable identity that you could trust represented your real essence, or so it would seem. Perhaps the superior grasp of the real of ages past is a phantom, but regardless... there's a reason people today want to return to monke.

Into that chaos of meaning came, of course, capitalism. If you can't generate real meaning and psychological security in your life, Amazon would be more than happy to sell it to you. Conveniently or catastrophically, some of the products the market has been happy to sell you in the past 150 years contain what looks like meaning: stories. Humans have been telling stories for as long as we've had language and selling them for almost as long, but before the mid-19th century or so there were greater social, scientific, and economic barriers for mass entertainment than there are now. And the expansion of narrative art into a multiple times a day, every day phenomenon - the way most people in the United States are never not consuming movies or shows or novels or comics - means that they are addictively absorbing content that contains morals, aesthetics, attitude, the kind of things that feel like meaning. Unfortunately this can have the effect of fooling oneself into thinking that consuming these representations of meaning is the same thing as having meaning, of feeling one has a meaning-driven life.

Now here we have to be careful. It is of course more than legitimate to derive meaning from art - that is art's first and most important function, the exploration and creation of meaning. (Entertainment is like fifth or sixth.) Narrative art that has no stance on fundamental questions about human life can be fun but will always be shallow. There's nothing wrong whatsoever with being a person that's a Dr. Who fan that learns lessons from that show and whose sense of morals or philosophy or aesthetics are influenced by that show. The problems start when "Dr. Who fan" comes before "person," when they start to think that liking that show is in and of itself a meaningful definition of their whole person. When the morals and lessons of narrative art cease to be fodder for exploration of one's deeper self and instead a proxy for a missing self.

I think a lot of nerds have fallen into the trap of thinking that liking Marvel movies is a personality. They have steeped themselves so fully inside these products that they have come to think of them when they think of themselves. "I love it so much, it must be me." And this is a mistake. Liking Star Wars simply isn't a solid foundation for your personality; the human psyche needs more fundamental codes and commitments to work with. Star Wars isn't in your control, so if you give yourself up to it and someone does something with it that you don't like, your whole world gets rocked. Ask the people who hated The Last Jedi. And these properties, no matter how sophisticated they are, or how beloved they are, just can't contain enough substance to anchor a sense of self.

There's a lesson that I wish all people could learn: you can love something, but it doesn't have to love you back. Star Wars does not give a shit about you and it never, ever will. Star Wars is a division of a massive multinational corporation and both the division and the corporation have one and only one objective, ever, now and in the future: the accumulation of money. It will sell you product to get your money and it will pay people a lot of money to make sure that the product stimulates something inside of you that feels like love. But it's not love. It's pure exploitation. Star Wars thinks you're a mark, and if you get too emotionally invested in it, you are.

Some will no doubt think I am ridiculing these people, that I'm throwing stones at nerds again and calling them stupid. But my intent is the opposite: I'm trying to argue that this tendency causes people instability and pain and they should look elsewhere for meaning. Like I said, this is not really something they've done. Capital sold this lifestyle to you. Disney invests mountains of treasure to get people to care this deeply about the commodities it sells. Never forget that these companies want you to care too much. And it really is hard to live in a time where everything feels unmoored. But, if you'll forgive me, this is not the way.

The social consequences are significant. After all, when you come to so identify with a major commercial franchise that you see your attachment as existential, you can't possibly have perspective. You can't be rational. You can't be mature. Some movie reviewer giving the latest Marvel spectacle an A- isn't expressing slightly less than total admiration, they're slandering Marvel, and since you think you're Marvel movies, they're slandering you. If you think you're Steven Universe then somebody on Tumblr who doesn't like Steven Universe isn't just a guy with a different opinion, or even just wrong. They must be a racist and a homophobe and a pedophile. If you think you're Star Wars, and then a movie comes out that rejects your vision of what Star Wars is supposed to be, then it's not enough to write an unkind review. You have to send death threats to Rian Johnson. You don't dislike the character of Rose Tico. You think Kelly Marie Tran deserves to fear for her physical safety in real life.

I wish I had a pat answer for what to do instead. Grasping for meaning - usually while drenching yourself in irony so that no one knows that that's what you doing, these days - is universal. I will risk offending another very touchy subset of the internet by saying that I think many people turn to social justice politics and their prescriptivist politics, the notion that your demographic identifiers define you, out of motives very similar to the people I've been describing. There are readymade vehicles for acquiring meaning, from Catholicism to New Age philosophy to anarchism, that may very well create the solid ground people are looking for, I don't know. I suspect that the best answer for more people would be to return to an idea that is very out of fashion: that you are what you do. You are your actions, not what you consume, what you say, or what you like.

It's cool to name the bands you like to friends. It's cool to be proud of your record collection. I'm sure it's fun to create lists for Letterboxd. But those things don't really say anything about you. Not really. Millions of people like all the things you like, after all. And trying to build a personality out of the accumulation of these things makes authentic appreciation impossible. I think it's time to look elsewhere, as much as I admit that it would be nice if it worked.

[jacquelinemerritt]

Star Wars: Exploring the Canon - Episode I-II

Originally posted October 19th, 2019

We begin with the two most hated prequels, and a Marvel comic set between them.

This review is part of a series of pieces on the entirety of the Star Wars canon. See them all here!

Before we begin, I feel somewhat obligated to state my “credentials” related to the Star Wars universe. While I am nowhere near old enough to have seen the original trilogy during its theatrical run, I am old enough to have experienced the prequel trilogy as it was coming out, making Revenge of the Sith my first midnight premiere at the age of eleven.

I even was an avid lurker of the official Star Wars forums back in the day, and I read just about every entry posted to the fan blogs that were hosted on the official site. I also made a series of Star Wars fan films at the age of ten, all telling the story of a disgraced Jedi Knight who fell to the dark side and had to be defeated by his former master (naturally casting myself as the fallen Jedi, of course).

I say all of this not to impress you with my “nerd cred,” but to contextualize the importance of Star Wars in my development as a critic and artist. My first experience with critical thinking in any form came through the blogs and forum discussions I read that debated the merits and failings of the prequels, and it was through my love of Star Wars that I attempted to write, produce, direct, and edit my first films, learning the skills that would lead me to becoming a film editor today.

What’s more, the Star Wars films (and related shows and books I could get my hands on at the time) were an escape for me, and I fell in love with Lucas’s universe in the process, reading the many young adult novels set before The Phantom Menace, scouring the details of the Expanded Universe through the official Star Wars databank, and watching any fan film that wasn’t too vulgar, hoping to learn something from other aspiring filmmakers like me.

Image from Versus, a 2005 Star Wars fan film directed by Nicolas Santini.

My history with Star Wars and love for writing criticism brings us to the goals of this series. I have wanted to explore the entirety of the Star Wars universe ever since I was a young girl, and the creation of the new canon (and related conversion of the Expanded Universe into Legends) has given me an opportunity to do just that.

Now, we can debate the merits of wiping the canon clean of the Expanded Universe, but I believe that it was generally a good decision. We lost some gems, like the short novels that painted a brilliant picture of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon’s relationship before The Phantom Menace, as well as the BioWare/Obsidian games, Republic Commando, and most of the history of the old Republic (many would argue the Thrawn Trilogy deserves this same consideration, though I cannot comment, as I’ve never read them), but we also ditched a considerable amount of junk, like the multiple resurrections of Emperor Palpatine, the multiple resurrections of Boba Fett, the multiple resurrections of Vader’s secret apprentice…noticing a trend?

My point being, the amount of material any writer stepping into the Star Wars universe would have had to work around (especially considering the complicated and contradictory nature of most of these works) is about as valid a reason as any to wipe the slate clean and continue forward with only the films, The Clone Wars, and future works remaining as part of the canon, a canon that I plan on going through in its current entirety in chronological order.

I will offer my thoughts, critiques, and perspective along the way, getting rather detailed at time (with no restraint on spoilers). I, however, do not plan on lingering too long on any topic that has already been written extensively about, like the failings or “fan-nitpicks” of the prequels, or the numerously extolled virtues of the original trilogy. Rather, as usual, I intend to provide an interesting, new, and ideally positive perspective on this media franchise that I adore.

And on that note, let’s jump right into…

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

The biggest failing of The Phantom Menace is its story structure, and that’s a shame, because structured differently, I believe The Phantom Menace could have been a strong film that effectively introduced us to the Star Wars universe. Lucas’s main failure here is not recognizing where the strongest part of his story lies: the story of Anakin winning his freedom on Tatooine.

While our visit to Tatooine is a detour from the main plot itself, every moment we spend on this desert planet simply works, even if the acting and characterizations aren’t particularly strong. Anakin is a kind and compassionate kid willing to do anything to help these strangers he barely knows, and through his skill and a little luck, he manages to win them the ability to get off planet, a gift that Qui-Gon returns by granting Anakin his freedom and taking him to become a Jedi Knight.

The strength of the Tatooine subplot brings to light the other weaknesses of the film, unfortunately, and the biggest weakness is that our perspective through most of the film is Qui-Gon Jinn, a boring, nearly invincible force for unadulterated good. In fact, this lack of character imperfections is common to almost all the Jedi in the prequels, as is their effective invincibility, but it’s more detrimental here because Qui-Gon is meant to be held up as the best of the Jedi.

Obi-Wan implies late in the film that Qui-Gon is actually somewhat of a rebel within the Jedi Order, failing to follow the specifics of the Jedi Code when it goes against his instincts and knowledge of the Force, and this glimpse into who Lucas wanted Qui-Gon to be makes his uninteresting nature all the more disappointing.1

Not everything outside of Tatooine is disappointing though. The lightsaber duel between Darth Maul, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon is particularly excellent, mostly due to the prowess of expert stuntman Ray Park, who brings a ferocity to this double-bladed lightsaber wielding Dathomirian that is only ever matched by the ferocity of the Chosen One after his fall. His skill as a stuntman translates directly into the text, too, as Darth Maul easily dispatches Qui-Gon when facing him alone, and is only beaten by Obi-Wan (who does give him a bit of a fight) when he assumes victory and underestimates his cornered opponent.

This duel is also jam packed with emotion, too; Qui-Gon is facing off against the warrior who ambushed him that he only barely escaped from (alright, I’m stretching the text a bit, you caught me, but can you blame me when Lucas suddenly shifts from Qui-Gon being invincible to him being clearly and unequivocally outmatched?), and Obi-Wan charges in blindly after witnessing the death of his master, attempting to match Maul’s ferocity with that of his own.

I also would be remiss not to bring up the unfortunate racial coding of characters in this film, even though it has been discussed by other more thoroughly already. The Toydarians, and Watto, specifically, stick out as being coded Jewish, via a long nose and mannerisms, and the only Toydarian we meet in this film is a greedy slaver who surrounds himself with literal filth.

The Nemoidians and Gungans are also clearly racially coded as Asian and Black Caribbean, respectively, and are both portrayed somewhat negatively (though neither as poorly as the Toydarians). This negative racial coding is a shame, not just because it reinforces negative stereotypes, but because it also distracts from some genuinely interesting characters.

Watto, in particular, is a great character in his own right, as he is a greedy slaver who is also rather compassionate. He treats Anakin fairly well, encourages him to pursue his interests (podracing and droid construction, which I can already hear you questioning, but I will answer your question with another: how else could Anakin have gotten the parts to build C-3PO?), and shows genuine pride in his successes. In fact, Watto’s only failures in this film are being too greedy to allow Shmi and Anakin to both be freed by Qui-Gon, and not believing in Anakin enough, the second of which is actually fairly reasonable given Anakin’s podracing record.

Watto’s arc, where his greed and lack of faith costs him greatly, also exemplifies Lucas’ themes for the prequel trilogy. Watto’s greed parallels the greed of the Trade Federation, snatching power at the behest of a Sith Lord because they…okay, the Trade Federation’s motive here isn’t ever made clear, but given that they are otherwise representative of large corporations, it’s pretty reasonable to assume that they did this to make a profit. Watto’s lack of faith in Anakin (and the power of the Force, by proxy) parallels the Jedi’s lack of faith in him too, as they refuse to train him until it becomes Qui-Gon’s dying wish that Anakin be trained.

This theme of the Jedi being imperfect and not following the true will of the Force is mishandled from here on out, to say the least, but in this subplot Lucas managed to perfectly execute a thematically resonant story about greed, failure, and a lack of faith. If that isn’t a reason to appreciate The Phantom Menace (well, outside of the objectively awesome podrace), I don’t know what is.

Star Wars: Obi-Wan and Anakin

Obi-Wan and Anakin is a comic mini-series released in January 2016 that follows the titular characters as they investigate a distress signal on a frozen planet. After they crash land, they find two factions of humans at war with each other, the Open and the Closed (yes, they’re pulled straight out of a young adult dystopia novel), and they convince two people from each faction to help them investigate the distress signal together.

After one of the Open kidnaps Anakin to help rebuild some badass droid mech suits, Obi-Wan continues towards the signal and discovers that it was sent by a woman known as the Scavenger, who sends up pieces of art work from the ruins of a civilization buried under a field of toxic gas. While the Open converge on Obi-Wan and the Scavenger with their badass mechs, Anakin unites the youth of the Open in rebellion against the old people and builds a speeder that allows him to save Obi-Wan’s life in the nick of time.

Anakin then fixes the transmitter in an old ship, and Obi-Wan uses it to call for a fleet of Jedi and Senate cruisers by lying about the presence of valuable fuel, convincing a doubting Anakin to fully commit to remaining in the Jedi Order. This is interspersed with a series of flashbacks that show Anakin being befriended by Chancellor Palpatine, who is naturally responsible for making Anakin doubt the Jedi Order in the first place.

The first question you might ask about that story is if they ever explain why the Open call themselves the Open and why the Closed call themselves the Closed. But because Anakin and Obi-Wan are visiting a crappy young adult dystopia a la Divergent, that question is never answered. You can maybe argue that this is intentional, as a young adult dystopia is arguably an appropriate setting for Anakin to explore his angst about the Jedi Order, but it still falls pretty flat.

Like most young adult dystopias, the world-building details that make two eternally warring societies with names as on the nose as “Open” and “Closed” are left out. It doesn’t help that the message of the story surrounding this broken society is that needless fighting is bad, adults and tradition are dumb, art is good, and the only way to bring peace to a fundamentally broken society is for a military expansionist regime to intervene in the search for resources.

Alright, that last bit is far from the typical resolution to a young adult dystopia, and it’s actually fairly representative of the most interesting parts of the comic. See, this comic spends a good amount of time discussing the heavy bureaucracy of the Republic, and Anakin’s desire to do good outside of that broken system.

In the first issue we see Obi-Wan give him back his lightsaber and reference Anakin’s desire to leave the Jedi Order, learning in the last issue that he wants to do so because it will give him the opportunity to see the galaxy and learn more than the Jedi could ever teach him. He feels restricted by their dogma, and this is best exemplified in a scene where a group of Padawans whisper about Anakin being a slave to his emotions, causing him to lash out in anger.

Yet he quickly restrains himself after this outburst and agrees with their assertion, making it clear that his emotions aren’t restricting him: the teachings of the Jedi are. It’s only when Palpatine takes him on a tour of the lower levels of Coruscant that Anakin finally sees a way out, and the only thing that stops him is Obi-Wan showing him the power and authority that comes from being a Jedi.

Framing this result as a victory of Obi-Wan, the Republic, and the Jedi Order, is an interesting decision, given how hollow the victory really is. For one, it means that Anakin is closer to Palpatine’s corrupting influence, as Palpatine’s a sneaky dude who coerced Mace Windu into allowing him to make friends with Anakin (and would clearly use that influence to maintain that friendship against the Order’s wishes).

Secondly, we see that Anakin abandoning the Jedi Order would have meant that Obi-Wan would abandon it too, as he is committed to fulfilling the vow he made to Qui-Gon by guiding Anakin in the Force out in the big wide galaxy. The victory feels pretty bittersweet as a result, and we’re left to wonder if Anakin’s decision to remain in a corrupt system because he can do more good is the right one, lining up this comic with the thematic throughline Lucas intended for the prequels.

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones

Within film criticism circles, Attack of the Clones tends to be derided as the worst of the prequels, and I tend to agree with that assessment. The Phantom Menace was sometimes dumb, and sometimes boring, but it took risks, and when it was going strong, damn was it going strong.

Attack of the Clones, on the other hand, is often very “meh.” Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty that works, and the chase through Coruscant is a pretty incredible sequence, but so much of the film simply falls flat, and it’s almost all because Lucas decided that bigger, louder, and more explosive was the way to regain the credibility he lost with fans after The Phantom Menace. That decision did not pay off.

The fatal flaw of Attack of the Clones is that Lucas mistakes spectacle for tension. The Battle of Geonosis, which pits an army of faceless clones against an army of faceless droids, may be a great metaphor for a proxy war between governments (as Palpatine is leading both sides into conflict for his advantage), but it is boring as shit. It starts by throwing a hundred Jedi into an arena to face of wave after wave of droids, but while Lucas hasn’t entirely continued framing the Jedi as invincible, he hasn’t done anything to establish the droids as a significant threat in any way.

Further, during this entire sequence, none of the characters we have any reason to care about (Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padme, maybe Mace Windu) are shown to be in any type of danger at all. And when Yoda shows up with a clone battalion to rescue the Jedi that have inexplicably ended up on the losing end, any attempt at tension is thrown out the window, and we’re shown shot after shot of gratuitous violence and explosions committed by CGI people against CGI robots while the characters we care about chase the villain back to his secret hideout.

The number of fucks I couldn’t be bothered to give about this fireworks display is honestly kind of impressive, considering that events leading up to the entrance of the entire Jedi Order are among the most tense and compelling action in cinema.

Our protagonists, Padme, Anakin, and Obi-Wan, are all reunited in a coliseum, and they’re forced to face off against three unique wild animals that pose distinct threats to each of them, all using only their wits, skills, and knowledge of the force. They each use clever solutions to break their chains and conquer their attackers, earning their success within the narrative and making it rather dismaying to see them surrounded by battle droids ready to snatch their victory away. Seeing the Jedi approach and fill the stands of the coliseum to save them from this fate is rather satisfying too, making it all the more disappointing that the tension fizzles out right when this supposedly “epic” battle begins.

Thankfully what Attack of the Clones lacks in tension it makes up for with intrigue. The main plot, which follows Obi-Wan trying to track down the bounty hunter responsible for an attempt on Padme’s life, is a classic detective story, and Obi-Wan’s investigation continually raises more questions than it answers.

The bounty hunter was using a Kaminoan dart, but the Kamino system isn’t anywhere to be found in the Jedi archives. Obi-Wan’s friend, Dexter, another great minor character, is able to point Obi-Wan towards the coordinates of Kamino, but this new information only proves that the Kamino system was deleted form the Jedi Archives, which both Yoda and Obi-Wan find incredibly troubling (sidenote: Yoda teaching younglings and being incredibly good at it is simply delightful!).

When Obi-Wan finally arrives on Kamino, he is greeted and told he was expected, and he is summarily informed about a clone army ordered by a Jedi Master nearly a decade before, only now discovering the bounty hunter Jango Fett, who was the genetic template for the clone army.

After an excellent fight wherein Jango showcases his talents as a resourceful bounty hunter, Obi-Wan tracks him to the planet of Geonosis, where he discovers a factory constructed battle droids and listens in on a Separatist meeting led by Count Dooku. And yet again, when Obi-Wan is captured by Dooku’s forces and questioned by Dooku in the best scene in the entire film (and arguably, the prequels), more questions are raised as Dooku (correctly) asserts that the Republic is under the control of a dark lord of the Sith, refusing to free Obi-Wan after he denies an offer to join him and the Separatist movement.

I mentioned Jango Fett earlier, but I just want to point out how excellent his character is. Temeura Morrison does a great job imbuing the man with a dangerous essence without ever making him feel downright villainous. Lucas also gets some credit here, as his inclusion of the small moments of bonding between Jango and Boba, his cloned son, really humanize this man who kills his own partner in order to prevent her from talking.

His death at the hands of Mace Windu also serves as a fantastic origin story for Boba Fett, who is forced to watch as his father is beheaded in battle. Also, maybe you think Boba being a clone is lame, which is kinda fair if you think clones are inherently lesser than non-cloned humans, but the retroactive canonization of Boba Fett as a person of color is really damn cool, and I think that more than makes up for it.

So, that’s all I have to talk about, right?

I have to talk about the romance…?

But…

It doesn’t work.

There ya go. That’s Jacqueline Merrit’s take on the romance plot in Attack of the Clones. Hope you enjoyed this piece and have good day!

Okay, well, look, the thing is, this romance is really important to the themes of the prequel trilogy, and it not working represents a significant failure on Lucas’s part that severely bit him in the ass on the release of Revenge of the Sith. How? It’s pretty simple. Lucas wanted a major theme of these films to be the importance of love, and the genuine strength that can be found in being loved by and loving another person in return.

And Lucas hinged that thematic throughline on the forbidden romance between Anakin and Padme, which legitimately should totally work! They’re old friends reunited under tense circumstances who return to the planet of Naboo, which holds special significance for them both, and as they spend time with each other the true depths of their feelings are unlocked. This romance is structurally sound, and it should be compelling, but it’s held back by one thing, and that one thing is not the wooden acting or Anakin sending multiple red flags (just because we see them doesn’t mean Padme knows enough to catch them herself; this is young love after all). What it’s missing is a character for Anakin to fall in love with.

Now, here’s the thing: Lucas clearly intended Padme to be a character, and signs of her being an interesting person with a unique personality are present in this film and in The Phantom Menace. At the age of fourteen, she was elected Queen of Naboo, and immediately following her successful term (a term that the people wanted to amend the planet’s constitution to extend), she is elected Senator and serves in the Galactic Senate until we catch up with her at twenty-four in Attack of the Clones as her life is being threatened by an unknown assassin.

This woman has significant political pursuits, and while she’s got the skill to settle a dispute, if she can’t reach a peace that’s alright, she’ll grab a blaster pistol and shoot a droid on sight, as evidenced by having personally led the team that secured the capital of Naboo from the Trade Federation. Everything about her screams potential, but when she and Anakin are romancing one another, she doesn’t display any of the depth this kind of complex history would give her. She’s just delicate, feminine, and beautiful, and that is the only reason we are ever given by the film for Anakin’s devotion to her.

Padme’s lack of characterization also negatively affects how believable her love for Anakin is, as well. While she is shown to be gradually falling for him, slowly flirting more and more until they share a kiss they believe will be their last, she never has a chance to vocalize why it is that she’s falling for him.

Does she feel like she can mend his tortured soul? Does she believe in his fundamental goodness, in spite of the danger he exudes? Or does she love him unconditionally, accepting him for who he is because of a deep connection they share?

None of these questions are answered, and as a result, when Anakin decides that he needs to return to Tatooine to determine the fate of his mother, Padme’s decision to join him feels meaningless, when it should be a decision that clearly cements that her devotion to Anakin is equal to his devotion to her.

Instead of a romance between two characters, we are given a story about a character wooing a symbol of feminine beauty who initially rejects him outright. That is a problem on multiple levels, and it sends the very kinds of mixed messages that can lead some critics to claim that the prequels are against people loving one another, when that was clearly the furthest thing from Lucas’s mind.

The Jedi forbidding attachment, and therefore romantic love in a committed relationship, is exactly the kind of philosophy that I think any of us can see as problematic, and Lucas was attempting to use that to get us to question the actual goodness of the Jedi Order. But because the relationship between Anakin and Padme is so one sided, and because it appears to be the thing that leads Anakin down the path to the dark side (more on that later), it comes off as a condemnation of romantic love, rather than a condemnation of the forces in the universe that conspire to prevent it.

But that is jumping ahead to Revenge of the Sith, and we still have The Clone Wars, Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir, and Dark Disciple to get through before we can even begin to talk about that film. So on that note, I will be back with my second entry into this series soon, and we will discuss the success of Dave Filoni and his team of incredible writers.

Critical Eye Criticism is the work of Jacqueline Merritt, a trans woman, filmmaker, and critic. You can support her continued film criticism addiction on Patreon.

1I don’t want to turn these articles into “How I, A Person Who Assumes I Know Far More About Star Wars Than George Lucas Ever Could, Would ‘Fix’ The Prequels,” because there is more than enough of that discussion, and frankly, most of it is pretentious, boring, and misses the lofty thematic and structural goals Lucas was reaching for when he created the prequels (ex: commentary on despotism that is more relevant today than ever and Ring Theory). As a screenwriter myself though, I can’t help but think about how easy it really would have been to make this film great. All you have to do is introduce us to Anakin before Qui-Gon and Padme arrive on Tatooine. You make room for this by cutting a good bit of early scenes on Naboo (cut the pointless danger of the planet core, spend less time in Otoh Gunga, open in media res with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan fighting off droids and trying to escape the Trade Federation ship), and you show Anakin’s experience of slavery, and his longing for freedom, turning his personal podracer into a symbol of that freedom that’s just out of his reach, something that he can only fix when Qui-Gon offers him help.

The rest of the film essentially proceeds as normal, but with more moments between Qui-Gon and Anakin bonding, with Qui-Gon representing the ideal Jedi that Anakin aspires to be someday (which clashes against his experience of the Jedi Council, who we only meet when they are testing Anakin and rejecting him from the Order). It’s a good number of changes, I’ll admit, but they’re changes that I think Lucas would have reasonably made if he’d had a good editor calling him out during the prequels, as they reinforce his themes and make his characters’ journeys stronger.

I didn’t have anywhere else to mention this, but seeing Watto homeless, destitute, and rotting in filth in Attack of the Clones is some damn poetic justice, Lucas drives home the point that greed leads to ruin with incredibly subtlelty.

[somethingthatsaysbubbles]

I posted 11,572 times in 2022

That's 8,618 more posts than 2021!

53 posts created (0%)

11,519 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@trelaney

@nbraraeaves

@raraenoctes

@morvantmortuary

@rosemaremembrance

I tagged 208 of my posts in 2022

#twitch - 14 posts

#twitchstreamer - 13 posts

#edward nashton x reader - 13 posts

#twitchtv - 13 posts

#edward nashton - 13 posts

#arcane - 13 posts

#the riddler x reader - 13 posts

#twitchgamer - 12 posts

#the riddler - 12 posts

#stream - 11 posts

Longest Tag: 92 characters

#this request was on my brain so hard i hope anon can forgive me for switching it up a little

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

10 Fandoms 10 Characters 10 Tags

Thank you @raemoriendi for the tag! 🖤 Way more than 10 characters, so I apologize, but I’m also not sorry.

Coral Island - Pablo. It’s a fandom of maybe like three people, so is it really a fandom? Probably not, but I’m here thirsting after the cute blacksmith anyway. Come into my house, and kiss me about it. 

@morvantmortuary - Maxi, Hex, and Rora. (Make me choose, I dare you.) If the Morvants have a million fans, I am one of them. If the Morvants have ten fans, I am one of them. If the Morvants have only one fan, that is me. If the Morvants have no fans, that means I’m dead. If the world is against the Morvants, I am against the world. Is this a fandom? It is in my heart, and that’s what matters. 

MCU - Baron Helmut Zemo. Don’t talk to me about Thunderbolts, I’m angy.

The Alienist - Laszlo Kreizler. Love of my life. Instant joy. I wrote a fanfic about him. It was pretty good.

MCU - Jack Russell from Werewolf by Night. I’ve only had this man for 53 minutes, but if anything happened to him I’d burn Marvel to the ground. (I wanna write something for him, but with what free time? Let’s be honest.)

The Addams Family - Morticia and Gomez Addams. Chillest fandom ever. We all just see the Addamses and collectively say “Yeah, I’ll reblog that.” Beautiful. (Legally, I can’t choose between them. Those are my parents.)

The Sandman - Dream of the Endless. I just think he’s neat.

Star Wars - Cassian Andor. I’m not super involved in the fandom, but like I’m still a massive Star Wars nerd. I even went to Galaxy’s Edge, disneybounding as Darth Maul/a generic Sith. (Check out my Instragram somethingthatsaysbubbles for proof.)

Arcane - Viktor. I need Season 2. I need it. Viktor is a comfort character, don’t ask me why. It says nothing about who I am as a person. I promise.

The Batman - Paul Dano’s Riddler. He’s disgusting and vile and pathetic, and I love him.

Bonus: Stranger Things - Eddie Munson. If you know, you know. 🖤

10 tags. No pressure:

@burritoni @lorna-d-m @trelaney @rosemaremembrance @maximoffwxnda @bruhlsbees @lightinthedarkuniverse @spookyspiderboiii @scuttle-buttle @eldritchcircus and anyone else who’s interested!

5 notes - Posted November 5, 2022

#4

I HOPE SILCO DOSENT BECOME A HYPERFIXATION I SWEAR BEACUSE I AM NOW A SILCO AND DANILE BEUHL SIMP

This reply is so fucking late, and I'm so sorry <3 Forgive me, for I have sinned, but, boy howdy, I hope you are sinning. I'm not a Silco simp, but you have every right to be. Live your best life, bestie.

8 notes - Posted January 26, 2022

#3

That feel when you have a GI appointment tomorrow (after 4 months of waiting), and the referral department cancels it because the GI department needs time to review your paperwork because your insurance changed, even though everything else is the same...If you need me, I’ll just be over here... 

13 notes - Posted February 9, 2022

#2

135 notes - Posted August 20, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

611 notes - Posted October 18, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

Thanks for the tag @morvantmortuary

no-pressure tags: @trelaney @bigtiddythanos @rosemaremembrance @maximoffwxnda @lorna-d-m @scuttle-buttle @jmathesonandsiblings and/or @lightinthedarkuniverse @norabrice1701 @eldritchcircus and anyone else who wants to!! 🖤

[artoflilyk]

Hi, so I guess I should introduce myself!

I am Lily K, I am a traditional, realistic portrait artist. I do a lot of Marvel, Star Wars and Video Game related artworks. I am a regular vendor at MCM London and the July London Film and Comic Con.

I am working on a webshop currently but for now I have a RedBubble where you can get all kind of goodies with my designs.

I also have a book 'The Soulless' that I published and currently I am writing the second book of it. It is self-published completely and I had the help of my amazing friend Katie.

I have two podcasts.

To All The Films We Judged Before with Katie, where we have great guests, conversations and reviews of movies and tv shows

And The Rest Of Us over on Couch Soup, where Erika, Nick and I breakdown every episode of The Last of Us.

I am a nerd, movie lover, artist. And I hope to go on tons of adventures with all of you ☺️

[tsunderful]

I posted 69 times in 2022 (Nice)

24 posts created (35%)

45 posts reblogged (65%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@such-justice-wow

@super-metroid

@ok-dingo

@hamuko-san

@official-medjed

I tagged 63 of my posts in 2022

Only 9% of my posts had no tags

#shitpost - 8 posts

#laugh rule - 8 posts

#few3h spoilers - 3 posts

#fire emblem warriors three hopes - 3 posts

#mass effect - 2 posts

#aki hayakawa - 2 posts

#senjougahara hitagi - 2 posts

#jojo's bizarre adventure - 2 posts

#chainsaw man - 2 posts

#star wars - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#he tried to steal his brothers girlfriend purely to spite him and when she rejected him he decided the next best thing was to kill his dog

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Every game should have the Majima everywhere system. And I don’t mean ‘every game should have a rival character that shows up at random throughout the game’, I mean Goro Majima from Yakuza should be in every single game ever developed with his design completely unchanged except for in Dark Souls where he’s a skeleton but he still wears the snakeskin jacket and eyepatch.

35 notes - Posted January 11, 2022

#4

Bulma, texing Vegeta: Hey I just got home where are you?

Vegeta: I am attending West City's Pride parade.

Bulma: Oh, I didn't know you supported LGBTQ rights, that's great honey!

Vegeta: What the fuck is an 'Eljibbyteekyu'?

44 notes - Posted September 17, 2022

#3

AU where Grievous survives ROTS and joins up with the Rebel Alliance not because he cares about nerd shit like freeing the Galaxy from the Empire’s tryranny but because the only people left in the galaxy who have lightsabers (that he knows of) are Sidius, Vader and the Inquisitors and his collection is severely lacking the color red.

94 notes - Posted May 17, 2022

#2

Best part of the Three Hopes demo

Bernie: Hey Edelgard did you arrest my dad?

Edelgard: No, sorry.

Edelgard: I can make him a huge assassination target though if you want?

224 notes - Posted June 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

The fact that nobody calls attention to the name puns in Phoenix Wright is hilarious ‘cause you’ll accuse one of the witnesses and Edgeworth will be like ‘your honor I assure you that there is no way Mr Gill T O’Murder had anything to do with this crime’

2,248 notes - Posted April 30, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[doofus-and-dragons]

Thoughts on Red, White, and Royal Blue(Taking notes helps me retain information so ofc I do it about my media like a goddamn nerd)

Overall thoughts:

I give this movie a 4/10. The actors were incredible and the jokes landed where they were suppose to. I was really excited for the movie, and I probably would have loved it if I hadn't read the book first (I don't regret reading it first. I adore the book, probably going to reread it). For me, the pacing was just extremely distracting. I didn't know where I was at any point in time. By the time I would figure it out, I was somewhere else. I also think that the removal of certain characters (June,Rafael, and Leo), the sugar coating of Zahra, and the microdosing (idk what else to call it) of other characters (Nora, Bea, Percy, and Shaan) really takes allies away from Henry and Alex, along with major plot devices within the main story. I felt like the movie cut out a lot of scenes (Star Wars, historical letters, the Rumors, Henry's date with June, the campaign, Nora in general, Alex's reaction to the leak, and the exposing Richards to name a few) really hurt the integrity of this movie for me. I was super excited going in, but now I'm just kind of bitter.

I did like how Henry and Alex's actors had some (from my pov) really good chemistry. That or they're just really good actors. They are, but like...differently. loved Oscar, loved the charcarization as a whole (other than maybe Bea (she felt kind of bland) and Zarha (she felt sugar coated). As a whole, all the actors (and yes, I do mean all) did an amazing job. Set design was absolutely breath taking. Most of the music was spot on (still salty about "Your Song" being cut out but yknow), and I'm a band kid and a theater kid so music means a lot to me. I loved the little metaphors, like when Alex gave Henry the key to his house (a bold choice, but it worked). I feel like Ellen deserved more of a "Im struggling to find an election balance and a mom balance" arc that Book!Ellen got, but Uma Thurman did a great job with Ellen. She didn't play too hard into the accent, and it was tasteful (much appreciated by the by). Loved Amy (wish we could have seen he do crafts tho...and her dog). LOVED it when they decked Henry out in commoner clothes!

So, yeah. My review of the movie is a 4/10. Here are the notes that better explain my personal opinion. If you enjoyed it, I'm so happy for you/gen.

Notes:

• The lack of June as a character takes away so many plot points and character building opportunities from all of the characters

• The loss of Leo as a character takes away from much of the drama not only within the First Family but also within the debate

• Who decided Miguell as a character???seems like they took that Post reporter from the book and turned his affection to Alex instead, which I guess they had to since the tossed June.

• I love Ellen,  Oscar, Zahra, Amy, Pez (why can't they ever call him pez?), Nora, and Shaan. 

• The movie is moving really fast.  I can hardly keep up with.  I'm constantly in a state of "Wait, where am I?  Why am I here?  This isn't supposed to happen yet is it?"

• I can't explain it, but Henry has very gay

• Where's Rafael?  He's like the reason for the climax (lmao)

• Sending him to Texas? But he's not supposed to be there yet! 

• I'm so lost that I can't keep up with the movie.  I can't even enjoy the sap from the email reading because I'm really confused.

• The acting is really good!  The pacing is just off.

• I hate this Miguel guy. 

• HENRY IS SUPPOSE TO BE CONFORTING HIM BECAUSE OF THE BETRAYAL

• Not enough Bea

• I am enjoying this 20 Questions scene, very cute yet very sad

• Zarha is suppose to be angrier at him for being awake.

• Henry in the closet will never not be funny to me.

• "...good morning!" -Prince Henry of Wales, 2023

• "And my sister" "awww I didn't know that!" "Yeah she was really happy for us."

• "Tetnhically I'm the spare!" "Not talking to you sir!" So funny!

• I'm assuming Miguel is the leak

• I'm back to being confused.  Also, not enough Amy.  I need more of her.  I need to see her dog Johnathan

• "She happens to be a he....and he happens to be henry..."

• Ellen is the best mom I love her

• I WANTED TO SEE ELLEN'S POWER POINT COME ON AMAZON :(

• Love how he's got a University of Texas Austin hat (it's not UT to me I'm from Tennessee, UT is University of Tennessee)

• Love how they Texas-ified Henry

• Sad we didn't get the kimonos

• So Oscar is Sen. Of Texas??? I thought that was Ellen before elected?

• Haha gays

• Needs more Pez

• Ok, wait, I know where I am! The start of the week of sad!

• Already? It feels like I've been sitting here for like half an hour.  I'm not retaining any of this.  God the pacing is killing me

• Also they didn't include them Skinny dipping which is honestly tragic

• Sad gay prince hours

• *megamind meme* No bunk beds?

• Bea calling him Hen is the world.  That's it. 

• WHY AM I ONLY GETTING ONE SCENE WITH SHAAN?

• Alex was suppose to be angrier, making a scene.  Shaan needed to almost throw him out. I need more Shaan.

• Eye opening for Henry time ehe

• Did he put his ring on the mantle I didn't catch it. 

• He was suppose to have make up time THEN go to the museum I'm lost again

• I can't help falling in love" and not "your song is" a choice

• They didn't bring up Sampson :(

• Wait he was suppose to put the ring on the chain.  It was sweet to give him the key tho.  I see you "key to my heart" symbolism.  I see you and I love you.

• DAVID!!!BABY BOY!!!

• Where's Zarha's anger? Alex's concern?  AHA Zarha and Shaan engagement real??? 👀

• Miguel is the leak and I dispise him.

• No meeting with the king? No Catherine? No Phillip getting hot tea spilled on him?  Tragic.

• Henry not getting to get a word in is tragic.

• I love Alex's speech it's so heart wrenching

• I need to see zarha's anger- oh Shaan is into it isnt he?  Love those two!  They are the true heros of this movie. 

• "I'll break the sound barrier for you" 🥺😭

• Henry playing Yankie doodle and Alex playing God Save The Queen is wonderful

• "Im white and upperclass so my affection comes on strings"

• Alex fidgeting with Henry's ring 🥺

• Stfu Pip, the fact you're the only one sitting on the side of the king is telling

• Stfu king Mary (he has no name just king so he's king Mary now).

• "Uh-bec-becu-because!!" 🙄

• Bea needs to spill tea on Phillip pls

• We don't get to see Alex's rslley speech? We're already at the election?

• No Zarha/Shaan makeouts? Srsly?

• No Liam? Where did the bikes come from?

• This movie has so many plot holes, it's like driving down a secret highway...

[neutronstarsign]

The Rise of Skywalker left me a bit peeved: a rant.

(Disclaimer: I am not deep in the fandom or its lore. I’m a casual viewer who likes queer things and spaceships going boom)

Little clarification on why I am personally pissed off about TROS (so many spoilers so if you do not want to know anything do not proceed):

This movie doesn’t know whether it wants to 1) continue The Force Awakens, 2) shit on The Last Jedi, 3) give the whiny fans what they want, 4) all of the above in different measures OR 5) continue the movies without any of the above.

So some good stuff first. I loved the trio and was so happy they got to do a bulk of this adventure together and flesh out their dynamic. For the most part the new characters worked in the story and I appreciated how many women there were. The action and cinematography were fucking wonderous. It was lovely to see Carrie Fisher and I know this movie was very hard to piece together after her passing. Kylo finally getting his shit together felt well earned, even if it happened a bit late in the story and could have been explored better.

However. As much as I liked The Last Jedi these parts were direct continuations to The Force Awakens.

Now to my grievances in a list form:

a) Just to set things out, the sidelining of Rose was so disgusting and they were so blunt about it to the point I am not sure why they didn’t write her character out in a dignified manner. She deserved better.

b) You can’t just open a movie with a text that says “Hey just so you know Palpatine is back and he sent a Youtube video about it to the galaxy”. At least show the transmission and people’s reactions to it. Where did this asshole come from again? Fuck it he’s a zombie now.

c) Rey as a Palpatine felt like stupid bloodline pandering to appease fanboys and to give the movie a villain after Snoke got killed off in the last movie. I actually rather enjoyed the fact that she came for nothing, precisely because quaranteeing force sensitivity to one or two families is dumb on a philosophical level. I suppose they really ran with the midichlorian theory.

d) Moreover, what the fuck did they do to Hux and why? At least keep him around so I can give a shit about all these villains you’re about to destroy, I don’t give a damn about general fuckface and zombie Palpatine. Utilise your villains better.

e) Look I’m not big on Reylo but everyone in that debate was left unhappy.

f) I know why Ben’s turning point happens so late in the story, but I still don’t like it because I’m a character driven viewer and I want things explored properly. Yes, his ending is bittersweet but rings slightly hollow because it literally didn’t pay off for his character to do this. He didn’t gain new friends, insights, struggles or resolutions, he got obsessed with a woman, saved her and promptly died. His journey feels unbalanced because he starts the movie off where he effectively was at the end of The Force Awakens, and that’s because his character arc was almost cyclical in The Last Jedi.

g) I find it hilarious that this entire trilogy milks out the nostalgia factor to a distracting degree and not once did they actually utilise the prequels in a constructive manner. Get Obi-Wan to do some spirit guiding here at least for fuck’s sake. Make Jar Jar Palpatine’s second in command. Do something creative.

h) Everything is so straightwashed that I am starting to think Star Wars is owned by a homophobic megacorporation that likes to market itself as queer friendly but actually cares more about brand integrity amongst conservative cultures in the US and abroad. Oh wait. Finn/Poe is life guys. I have an agenda and so does Disney. Neither is blameless.

Imma stop there because I have better things to do with my life than moan about a children’s movie for hours.

[ggukkiereads]

Fic Recs | Fake Dating AUs

This is based on asks for fake dating fics. Most of these favorites are reblogged with reviews. Others are still ongoing series I am reading whenever there is an update.

Members are organized per number of fake dating participation 😂

Jungkook

Mutual Help @personasintro​ - [39/?] | literally the only reason I visit Wattpad. | semi fake dating AU, Bestfriend AU, FWB AU, Slow Burn | F, S, A  

Aphrodite in War @jungblue​ - [2/?] | Exes AU, Fake Dating, Fratboy/Greek Life, Roommate AU, Enemies to Lovers  | F, S, A    (one of my favorite authors too! Like read all her fics)

Bitchin @kinktae​ - series [10/10 + 10 Years After] | fake dating, college au, jock!jk, smart!reader, E2L #holygrailfic (⭐)  

Blush @jhsbrat​ - JJK | one shot | friends to lovers, feat Jin (I remember looking everywhere for this because I thought the author deactivated 😭 so I was glad it got reposted)

The Proposal @hansolmates​ - JJK one shot | editor!jungkook x assistant, like the movie The Proposal

My Euphoria @moyochu​ - JJK | one shot | CEO!JK, Florist!OC, bought chocolate cosmos from her shop for his Mom and a plan ensues when OC needed a fake boyfriend (I reco’d this during one network’s JK’s week last year because I just adore how fluffy this fic is I binged on their fluffy catalog one time and I recommend their other works!)  

Proposals @pjxmin - JJK | one shot | pretend proposals to get free food from restaurants 🤭

Dating Plan @/jjkthclub - JJK | one shot | enemies to lovers, childhood friends, actually it’s more of a “Dating Trial” just so the moms will leave them alone (🥰)  

Piss Off Your Parents @littlemisskookie​ - JJK | one shot | Rich Kids who hate the pressure from their parents but JK is a rebel and OC roomed with him (and fake dated him) to piss off the parents (⭐)  

Love to Hate You @latetaektalk​ - JJK | series [4/?]  | fratboy! AU, fake dating! AU, college! AU, enemies to lovers! AU, rich kid! AU, angst, fluff 

Anpanman @honeymoonjin​ - JJK | one shot | fake date to get therapy (this is also hilarious?!?! like ridiculous premise but the author made it work. Anyway the link leads to my reblog and you can read my comments if you need convincing 🤭)  

Moonlight Melody + Part 2 @/gukyi  - JJK | two shot | 50k |  fake dating, orchestra AU (part of this fic rec list)

Coffee Shop Contract @/gukyi - JJK | one shot | 18k |  fake dating, college AU  

Better Late Than Never @rosaetae​ - JJK drabble, exes AU, fake dating (I love this scenario, there’s one funny moment here with Jungkook saying his feelings through a door) 

End Game @minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong - JJK | one shot | 12.1k | soccer player x cheerleader, fake dating AU, ex-Namjoon  

One Thing Right by hobios (now on AO3) - JJK | series [8/8] | more on fake marriage than fake dating but I’m throwing this in because this is my #holygrailfic  

Play Pretend @seokoloqy - JJK | one shot | 8.6k |  Athlete AU, Jock AU, Soccer Player!JK, Fake Dating AU, Friends to Lovers AU | S, A

The B.S.T. Mission @singguks - JJK | 11.2k | Secret Agents AU, Fake Dating AU | A, F, S ~ ongoing [3/?]

ILYSB @rkiverse - JJK | one shot | 11.1k | idol au, broken-hearted jungkook, love clinic staff reader, fake dating but not really (more of part of therapy) | F, A

It’s All Fun and Games @/cupofteaguk - JJK | one shot | slow burn, set up on blind date so they pretended to be dating to shut others up 🥰  

Collar Full @minloop​ - JJK | fluff, smut, friends to lovers, college au, ‘fake dating’ au for Jungkook's love project  

True Care @joonsgalaxy​ - JJK | series [7.5/?] | bodyguard!jungkook fake dating   

Baby I’m a Fool @suhdays​ - JJK | one shot | enemies to lovers, coworker  

Blank Check @pantaemonium​ and @sugaxjpg​ - JJK |  series [5/?] | fake dating AU, college AU, fratboy AU, fuckboy AU, jock!jk (been following this fic for years 🥰)

Beautiful Confession @btsracket​ - JJK | one shot | Friends to Lovers, OC just lost her job + boyfriend and only childhood friend to turn to

It Takes Two @junghelioseok​ - JJK | one shot | Christmas AU, fake dating, roommate au

From Home @gyukult​ - JJK | series [12/12] | rich kid!jk (but he was cut off and has to learn how to earn on his own), baker!reader, enemies to lovers, fake dating   

I Wished I missed My Ex @angelguk​ - JJK | one shot | College AU, Fake Dating

The Wedding Date @jjungkookislife​ - JJK | one shot | fake date for wedding  

💜 Jungkook is Over Party (#JungkookisOverParty) @extravaguk​ - series [4/?] | 11k+ | Fake Dating, College AU, Himbo!JK, Smart!Reader | F (so far)

→ Fics with parts/chapters of fake dating:

Cream and Sugar @gukslut -  series [6/6] | Smut, Humor, Escort AU, Barista AU, Enemies to Lovers, Asshole!Jungkook (this is also a gem! must read)  🥕

Midas @/gukyi - one shot | enemies to lovers, magical realism, CEO AU, OC has invisibility and JK turns stuff into gold . (okay just a segment where they pretended in front of the parents  

Fuckboy Jungkook Who Quotes Gatsby Part 5  Part 6   @btsinspirationtakesme - drabble series [6/6] | Fuckboy AU, Nerd!Reader, Enemies to Lovers, using literary quotes to win OC (Shakespeare, FS Fitzgerald, Neruda, etc) (so this is actually surprisingly cute?!?! I don’t even remember how I discovered this fic. Anyway there is one chapter where they fake date) 

Taehyung

Kismesis @jjkthclub​ - KTH | it’s pretend to be a couple during a wedding expo (for free food! like I would do the same lol)

The Holi-date @kpopfanfictrash​ - KTH | This neighbor!Taehyung is just...memorable you know? It’s a great romcom piece 🥰 

Love at First Oink @glodenclosetau - KTH | the only SMAU I’m putting here because this is a MUST READ. It has written parts and this is just the fluffiest cutest SMAU (also the first I’ve read in full because I have the tendency to read and miss on smau episodes before)  

Can’t Fake a Feeling @bubmyg​ - KTH, F2L, Fake Dating, College AU, Fuckboy  

Schemes and Tricks to Win Her Heart @crystaljins​ - KTH feat KSJ | series [5/5] | Fake Dating Chaebol/Rich Seokjin, Taehyung is Jin’s Little Brother, and OC is Tae’s bestfriend  (⭐) 

X and O @army-author​ KTH | fake dating, single parent, teacher AU 

False Pretense @v-hope​ - KTH | one shot | Fake Dating AU | F, slight A

La La Land by hoseokiehope (used to be on tumblr) - KTH | one shot | throwing this in because this is also a classic  

Crush Culture @chaangbin - KTH | fluff, angst, fake dating au, childhood friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, smut  

The Platinum Rule @taecalicook - KTH | two shot | you can read the JJK since this is a spin-off (but nor required), fuckboy!taehyung, fratboy  

Yoongi

Playing with Fire @houseofdemi-blog - MYG | series [8/8] |  Fake Dating AU, Rich Girl AU, Producer Yoongi, Bad Boy AU (this is a classic. a really great fic)  

First and Last Love @floralseokjin​ - MYG | Christmas AU, Exes who needed to pretend they’re still together because they haven’t told the family yet about the break up (this is 👌)  

When The Stars Align @itskimtaehyung​ - MYG | one shot | College AU, Roommates, cuffing season

The Heart Holiday @vanaera - MYG | series [3/5] | 92.3k | Office AU, Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating AU  

Switching My Positions @cupofteaguk - MYG | solo artist!yoongi, manager!y/n, fake dating au, friends to lovers au 

Maybe So @joonary​ - MYG | two shot? [1/?] | fake date someone you already have feelings for (you have to read this - just so fluffy) 

Everglow @dreamyjoons - MYG | series [4/4] vague fake dating au, friends to lovers

Veil feat PJM @ddaenghoney​  - series [20/20] | slow burn, unrequited love, love triangle, fwb (pjm), producer!yoongi

Ink Nemesis @scriptaed​ - series [7/7] | fake dating, paparazzi!oc, idol

Seokjin

Better With You @ve1vetyoongi​​ - KSH | series [2/3] | help him inherit his trust-fund-baby-fortune  

Courtship Chronicles @/gukyi  - KSJ | one shot | friends to lovers, fake dating to show how fun dating could be  

Raspberry Truffles @gukyi​ - KSJ | one shot | F2L, fake dating

The Money Project @namjoonchronicles​ - KSJ | series [2/?] | fake marriage actually, they don’t like each other but Seokjin’s parents like her and he needs her to get on parents’ good graces  

Too Good To Be True @hueseok​ - KSJ | series [7/?] | college au, idiots to lovers, 10 things I Hate About You  

Taming of Bridezilla @cinnaminsvga​ - KSJ | one shot | fake date to least favorite cousin’s wedding

Jimin

Fake It Till It Works @glassbangtan​ - PJM | one shot | panicked and told Hoseok he has a GF and he’s looking for one who could pretend, Best Friend AU

Remedy for Mondays @dovechim​ - PJM | series [4/4] | Co-worker AU, Fake Pregnancy AU (lol), Fake Dating AU, fake baby daddy 😅 🥕

Happily Glazed @/bubmyg​ - PJM | one shot | fake date to cousin’s wedding, slice of life  

Call Me Baby @hueseok​ - PJM | one shot | friends to lovers, roommate au, college au

Namjoon

My Blood, Your Tears @nottojay​ - KNJ | series [5/?] | fake dated Namjoon who is the rival of her brother’s gang, Mafia AU (it’s incomplete though but good for bookmarking)

Until You Make It @versigny​ - KNJ | one shot | Christmas setting, co-workers   

My Only Wish @ppersonna - KNJ | one shot | Christmas AU, E2L, idiots to lovers  

Hoseok

Fakeation @theunknowncryptid​ - JHS | SMAU |  Inspired by the movie Just Go With It

Fake Love @aquaminwrites​ - JHS | Fake dating AU, enemies to lovers, fluff, smut, minor angst (you have to read all of the writer’s fics. her fics are just amazing. promoting her Taehyung fic Paper Cranes which is a favorite of mine too)  

*there is one Hoseok fic I really like but it was last updated in 2019 😥 so I didn’t include anymore but that’s such a great fic

There are new fake dating fics I’ve seen recently but I haven’t read them yet. Once I get to read them, I’ll update this with ones I’d like to recommend

🌷 posted: 2021 May 07 | updated: 2021 June 12 (indicated with a 💜)

🌷 other lists

🌷 I love to read so feel free to recommend a fic =)

[ad-hawkeye]

Random thoughts: do you think, at some point in his life, Artem has written fanfic of his favorite sci fi stories or even interacted with fandom at all?

Related thought: imagine Artem going to a sci fi convention and having a complete misunderstanding of what this kind of convention would be. Like he thought it would be a more serious, business-like convention where people have serious discussions with authors and scientists and people-with-titles, but he gets there and it's a bunch of people in costume chilling out and having fun. There are still serious discussions happening but it's like between someone dressed as a cyberman and someone dressed as a borg. Would he eventually get into the spirit of it or just continue to be confused through the whole event?

Sorry, I was in the shower and started thinking about Artem being his adorable, awkward, nerdy self.

*KICKS DOWN THE DOOR* HELLO!! SORRY I AM HERE AND READY TO RANT AND RAVE, ANON I LOVE THIS ASK SO MUCH HAHA

i think about how artem is a sci-fi nerd so often, it’s one of the things that def cemented him as my fav tot boy. so i have many self indulgent thoughts. please excuse anything that seems off, i’m just letting loose and being the little trekkie fan fic writing whore i am.

as for writing for his fav sci-fi stories, i think he’d go about it like one of his mockingbird reviews in terms of writing an essay about what would be “more narratively satisfying”... like he’d ramble on about this theoretical ending he’s crafted, but the more mc reads it, the more she’s like. hm. if you adjusted this slightly and added dialogue, it’d be a story. you should try writing artem, this is really good.

artem just kinda brushes this off bc he’s the most self depreciating mf on this planet when it comes to anything that isn’t law, but i can see him trying to write his own original, non-fandom sci-fi stuff in the future.

god speaking of fandom, i always forget artem is gen z. i wouldnt be surprised if artem stumbled upon fucking like. 2016 tumblr or something as a teen.

he feels like the type to dislike most conventional, modern day fandom spaces. top ten guys who would bitch and moan about a lack of critical thinking after reading one bad take, type up a whole essay to rebuke the take, then delete the essay once he realizes it’s not worth it

i totally agree with the convention bit 100% HAHAH. i think with the right prodding he’d get into the spirit of things. aka, with mc’s influence. she was the person who got artem to wear a little costume and to act in a play. and act in multiple other things. also the person who put bunny ears on him in one of their cn server dating cards. if mc was like we should couple cosplay!! he would simply be Okay Alright Sure (and i think his theater kid ass would secretly get such a kick out of it too)

random side headcanon with absolutely no basis, so please indulge me, but i agree w the many others in this fandom who think artem would be a trekkie (a next generation or deep space nine enthusiast if i were to wager a guess).....

hmm and for fun, here are my #takes on the other nxx members... luke would probably be a star wars guy (with a nostalgic fondness for the prequels and intense opinions on the clone wars). mc is the middle ground of liking both sw and st. these three are the most intense nerds. marius would like the original star wars trilogy and vyn would disgust and dismay the group after admitting he has not seen anything from either. which like... nxx viewing party in order? perhaps?

[archduke42]

Barriss Offee in “Queen’s Hope”

Ok, In case you don’t know (and may not necessarily care), I am a 51 year White CIS Gender Barriss Offee fanatic, I had to investigate the Queen's Hope novel.  I walked into the local book store and pretty much skipped through pages until I could find the 2-3 pages where Sabe talked to Master Depa Billaba and then Barriss Offee.

I had, at one time, been rather excited when EK Johnston tried to hint on Twitter that there might be an appearance by Barriss in Queen's Hope.  I took this to be an exciting sign.  I’ve been an irrational fan since 2005, and I am constantly alert for Barriss moments in any medium, so I had high hopes.

My opinion of how this character is treated within the book, even as a temporary cameo, is not much.  Maybe it's that I grew up in an era that was more about  grand adventure of things.  It's a YA novel, and not meant for fans like me.  I shouldn't expect "Beowulff", Greek Mthology quests or that these characters could be going on an adventure like an episode of the A-Team (Though EK Johnston could really improve things if she watched a few of those and applied more frequent chases and gun fights.  But that's just me).  I’m an old 80s nerd, so I’m cut from a different cloth when it comes to star Wars.

There is some PTSD hinted at in her character as Sabe talks to her, which I can appreciate since war should be traumatizing to a degree, but Johnston treats her like a lost child with no sense of direction without Luminara.  One can sympathize with her plight, but they play up the whole "I don't want to fight, war is nasty" vibe.  Multiple times.  I get it, they want to start her in a dark place to move her into a darker place, but that is not the vibe from season 2, so a lot of this feels like a contrived justification of the plot twist in Season 5 

 I think the thing that bristles the most is how there is none of the inner confidence or determination that Barriss had shown in Season 2 of TCW (or even in Medstar novels).  Barriss keeps looking to Depa for some kind of leadership in this scene, and I, being suspicious, take it as EK's nod to Filoni who seems to make sure his favorite characters glow as fonts of wisdom when they are present.  That is no disrespect intended to fans of Depa Billaba, nor Plo Koon.

If you're a fan of Depa and Plo, that is perfectly fine.  It's just that these two characters get a lion's share of favoritism, LucasArts will always remind us of Filoni’s favorites.  They even have Sabe insinuate that at least the Jedi have Ahsoka to break rules and be a rebel.  They don’t mention Ahsoka, but it feels like another dig and I get this impression LucasArts seems to have no interest in the Mirialan Jedi.  They kind of get a raw deal when it comes to any kind of Presentation (Luminara in particular)  The only mention of Luminara is in how Barriss feels lost without her Master to guide her.

I get it, though.  This scene has to build on connecting to Season 5 and has some foreshadowing.  I will be curious for the Barriss Offee story part of "Stories of Jedi and Sith" coming out in June, but it's a YA novel as well, and I am beginning to simply accept the fact that Barriss is just going to be led down this path of a diminished, dark despairing character rather than one from Season 2 who had determination and strong will, and had to have learned more lessons in three years of war besides "Jedi Bad".

After a while, I get really tired of everyone constantly repeating “Barriss was right about things but about wrong about bla bla bla” over and over.

There’s got to be more layers to this character other than the same old “Jedi bad” stuff.

No offence meant to make anyone angry.  If you enjoyed the novel, that is good.  I'm just reviewing the 2-3 Barriss pages that I was curious about.  I’m old and cantankerous and probably outdated in my views of how these characters should be treated.  Anyway, that’s my two cents

[agentnico]

Obi-Wan Kenobi - Season 1 (2022) Review

Apologies in advance, but this review features a lot of love for Darth Vader. I mean, can you blame me?

Plot: The Jedi Master contends with the consequences of his greatest defeat - the downfall and corruption of his one-time friend and apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.

Say what you will about the Star Wars prequels, although lets not sugar coat it - they are bombastically crappy; but regardless the universal agreement on one of the good aspects of that trilogy is the casting of Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi. McGregor back then was brought the challenge of interpreting a younger version of a character that was made so signature by actor Alec Guinness in the original films. And he did great! Showcasing the inner self determination and his passion and love for his student, and seeing his sheer sadness upon seeing his friend fall to the Dark Side, it was one of the only truly emotional aspects of the prequels. Then again, the most emotional aspect was obviously the audience’s united pain in not getting to see Jar Jar Binks get killed in the most brutal fashion. Mesa not happy about that! Anyway, now with Disney churning out endless Marvel and Star Wars content, there’s evident precedent in seeing the overall quality dipping. So I was sceptical about the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, as the concept of seeing a rematch between the titular character and his former padawan was one I found interesting, but I didn’t think they could deliver.

I am happy to report that Obi-Wan Kenobi is the closest Disney has gotten to recapturing the original magic of Star Wars. Cause the sequel trilogy, there’s nothing to boast about those. The Mandalorian is great but it always felt detached from Star Wars in some ways. And Book of Boba Fett, well, that ended up just being Mando 2.5, so my point stands. However Obi-Wan brings us back to old school Star Wars, from seeing stormtroopers and lightsabre battles, to the various fan service cameos, and then there is Vader. Yep, we need to talk about Darth Vader in this show. We got a little tease in Rogue One how much Vader can be a badass, but we ain’t seen nothin’ yet!! With the combination of James Earl Jones’ voice and Hayden Christensen coming back in physical form and thankfully not talking about coarse sand, they manage to make Darth Vader such a menacing presence and someone who is filled to his core with the lust for revenge. He’s a predator that is out to seek its prey and won’t stop at nothing. Anakin wants some of that Kenobi butt, as in he wants to penetrate the fella deeply to death with his lightsabre. Am I purposefully trying to make this sound sexual for no reason whatsoever? You decide, but the matter stands that Vader steals this show and his stand off with Kenobi was nothing short of amazing!!

But its not all about Vader. Even though it is all about Vader. Look, it’s difficult to talk about this show and not get excited like the lousy nerd that I am, and honestly whenever Vader was on screen I was just in awe. Gahhh, maybe I should go marry him, shouldn’t I?! I’m messing, I am lucky enough to already be engaged to a wonderful fiancée, so I shouldn’t joke about marrying others, as she’s reading this and may cry afterwards. Anyway, the show itself works finely too. The actual narrative of Obi-Wan having to protect a young Leia, and having to deal with Inquisitors who are out murdering all the leftover Jedi after Order 66, that’s all really befit in the Star Wars universe, so again I cannot emphasise how much this felt like classic Star Wars. And the dashing Ewan is a perfect companion to carry us through it, even getting to quip his famous “Hello there” line which was naturally a cheer worthy moment.

With a strong start and super satisfying closing chapters (episodes 5 and 6 are my favourite), Obi-Wan Kenobi manages to bridge the gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope to strong effect. I have heard that some users on IMDb have been bashing this show for apparently poor writing and being pointless, and of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I personally really really dug it. Even the controversial character of Reva, with the actress playing her (Moses Ingram) being bullied on Twitter for her performance, she wasn't bad. Look, was she the best Star Wars character ever? Of course not, but she was perfectly okay for what she needed to do. People forget that being a villain in a show that happens to also have Darth Vader, I mean naturally the latter outshines the others, I mean c’mon! Did I already mention that Vader is in this show? And that he is f****** awesome!!?? Guess I’m going to have to get a Hasbro helmet of Vader. I have no choice. Is it in my budget? Probably not. But in the name of Vader, I will open my wallet!

Overall score: 8/10